Present yourself that you know what you are doing and you will overcome the age aspect easily.

I moved my company across the country and its taking longer than i want to get traction but its coming. Just keep the bids out there.

I disagree with brooming, brushing and such.

It may work as an owner operator but not if you plan on using employees.

You save a lot of material, but that gets canceled out by the amount of extra time.

Someone said they can spread 200 gallons a day. At 200 gallons a day I couldnt pay my phone bill. We shoot for 400 GALLONS PER HOUR. Of course thats doing big commercial but that's what each 2 man crew is expected to do.

Brushing does not last longer. It puts less material on the parking lot.

Ive had customers ask for brushing, I use this example.
I spray a 4 foot by 4 foot section.
Then I take the brush to it and it stretches to double the size.

Then I ask the customer. Do you want to pay me more labor to use less material, or do you want more material on your lot and pay less for labor.

Never had one ask me to brush it after that.

Now from what I see around here the way competitors spray, I can totally understand a customer worried about that. Heck around here they cant brush without getting it 3 inches up the curb and 3 inches over the sidewalks.

But if you are good on the spray wand, you should be able to leave everything spotless. do around the garage and concrete by hand. Start with 3 feet out, eventually as you get better you can cut that down to 6 inches and you wont splatter.

Sealer doesnt kill grass. its not a big deal if you overspray grass. If you use a fresh tip, and you develop some skill, you will get very very little on the grass.

It sounds like youre doing the right thing to start. Dont change how you do the work and try going back to 1950 technology and think you're going to grow very much.
Your competitor is 20 driveways ahead of you before youre picking up your first check.

Just keep the advertising, keep pushing. Dont be afraid to point out who does crap work, and show how yours is better.

I deal with it everyday. Jobs that I think I had for sure, I drive by and theyre getting done and I have no idea why.
Customers who dont care about quality and wont pay me a dollar more for neatness than they will pay a hack to spray their concrete and buildings.

But word will get out.

__________________
Trying to figure out how to get rich and not leave my bed.

Around here , there are 2 large guys that will not allow the employees to spray driveways at all. I sell more jobs by brooming than by spraying , I only spray parking lots. I generally get the job because I communicate well with the customer , its generally a refferal , but I am also on the higher side of the price scale . I just did a 4000 sq ft driveway with a rise in the middle , price was 20 cents a foot , took me less than 2 hours from the shop and back , 50 to 60 gallons , cant complain at all . Have to go back and do 3 neighbors who liked the job and the price . that should finish out the tank for the season , then I can put the machine away.

Asphalt emulsion, at least sealmasters is a really nice product. I like it better than coal tar. No smell, no burn, no water to add.

Its a tough sell though. It costs more.

At the local plant its the same amount as the coal tar, except you dont add water. So youre buying 30% more sealer for the same coverage.

Its not much more expensive than a good coal tar mix, but the problem with that is your competition.

Where I am, the standard is coal tar 30,40,50% water, no sand, no latex, no additives. Just water coal tar and spray.

Im using coal tar, 30% water as recommended by seal master. Then im adding $200 in sand, and $100 in additive

A tank of coal tar ready mix costs me about 5-600 more than my competitor.

Right off the bat you have to try to sell that to a customer that only knows that 2 guys are offering to spray his lot black.

if you take the emulsion, add the sand and additive youre closer to $900 more per tank.

If youre competing against a guy that is happy putting 400 bucks in his pocket on a 500 gallon job. Youre already 500 higher in price than him before you even pay labor.

Its a tough sell.

The material however is great and is the way of the future

I buy my material in concentrate and add my own water and additive based on enthalpy of that day. I have never added sand to coal tar only Black beaut at about 3 pounds per gallon. Today was way to cold to mix 30% water and we finished up a good size lot by 12 and went back at 3pm. and lot was almost dry completely and stripes were done on the front lot.